[red1975pacer]

Looking for a loaded up Bucket seat 78-80 Grand prix. Can spend up to 10k for the right car. Dealers, brokers, anybody welcome. must have bucket seats. Thanks guys.

[Half-Inch Stud]

85 GP with 78 Interior. 455//TH400//Posi Rear//3" exhaust//new tires&rims.

Search this G-body section for my Thread with photos. $5k

[red1975pacer]

Mr Stud, appreciate the response, but looking for more of a surviver type car at this time. Thanks again

[camerjeff]

78's

http://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/4253102375.html

This one doesn't look that bad, but no asking price listed

http://sarasota.craigslist.org/cto/4268403800.html

Worn looking red one out west

http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/cto/4254144181.html

79's

No Buckets, but a very nice green LJ

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4295416652.html

Rare 4-speed manual Trans Car

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/4293733837.html

No Buckets but very nice original looking car

http://providence.craigslist.org/cto/4311211027.html

[red1975pacer]

Camerjeff what do you think of the red one in Balitmore? Along the same lines check out the Sunbird at Guesswain motors of South dakota. Any comments/

[camerjeff]

Depends on what you want, I would have to check out that Red 4-speed GP, if it isn't rusty I would be tempted, last V-8 Pontiac Powered Midsized Manual trans Cars Built. My Mother actually had a Black and Gold SJ Version that she put almost 200,000 miles on before she blew the 301 up, but I did put 3 Saginaw 4-speeds in it before I got smart and Modified it to take a BW Super T-10 from a late 70's T/A parts car I had.
But that Turbo sunbird is a nice looking car, alittle $$$ though, but probably one of the nicest Turbo Sunbirds left.

[red1975pacer]

Originally Posted by camerjeff

Depends on what you want, I would have to check out that Red 4-speed GP, if it isn't rusty I would be tempted, last V-8 Pontiac Powered Midsized Manual trans Cars Built. My Mother actually had a Black and Gold SJ Version that she put almost 200,000 miles on before she blew the 301 up, but I did put 3 Saginaw 4-speeds in it before I got smart and Modified it to take a BW Super T-10 from a late 70's T/A parts car I had.
But that Turbo sunbird is a nice looking car, alittle $$$ though, but probably one of the nicest Turbo Sunbirds left.

Do you think the Sunbird will have any collector interest moving foward? Does your Mom still have the SJ Grand Prix?

[Lightfoot]

The 4-speed GP has an attractive price but I think that (as-is) might be an indication of major work being needed. He isn't saying much in the description. What's he hiding?
If I local, I'd definately check it out, but I'd be looking real thorough at the underside.
Personally I don't care for the T-tops on these cars, so it'd have to be a diamond in the rough for me to buy it.
P.S. Car is in PA but he listed in Baltimore. Hoping to dump it off to some stool pigeon?
.
That Sunbird is another museum car. A really neat example, but nothing the collectors are looking for. I would stay away for simple reason of this motor:



You wouldn't get to 75,000 before either the head gasket failed or turbo burned out.

[Lightfoot]

Red-Pacer, I was composing my reply before you asked about the collectibility.
IMO collectors don't give a rat's ass about any of those econobox convertibles from the 80s-90s. They are just a novelty in retrospect now.
And with the future of this country's economy in serious peril, I would not even consider investing in a model that is a well known winner at this point.

I never was aware that the 2.0 was available with a turbo option back in 1987.
I don't think they had a good service track record, as it was dropped after 1991.
This car being 27 years old, I would consider it a ticking time bomb.
So, even if someone wanted it just to keep & drive, it would likely be a loss of invested dollars especially at that price.

I don't think there would be more than half dozen people in the lower 48 that would get excited about owning it ten+ years from now. Actually, it should be in it's 'collector window' right now or, has more likely already gone past it.

Being a 1st generation J body, salvage parts are going to be non-existent in the very near future.

[red1975pacer]

Originally Posted by Lightfoot

Red-Pacer, I was composing my reply before you asked about the collectibility.
IMO collectors don't give a rat's ass about any of those econobox convertibles from the 80s-90s. They are just a novelty in retrospect now.
And with the future of this country's economy in serious peril, I would not even consider investing in a model that is a well known winner at this point.

I never was aware that the 2.0 was available with a turbo option back in 1987.
I don't think they had a good service track record, as it was dropped after 1991.
This car being 27 years old, I would consider it a ticking time bomb.
So, even if someone wanted it just to keep & drive, it would likely be a loss of invested dollars especially at that price.

I don't think there would be more than half dozen people in the lower 48 that would get excited about owning it ten+ years from now. Actually, it should be in it's 'collector window' right now or, has more likely already gone past it.

Being a 1st generation J body, salvage parts are going to be non-existent in the very near future.

Kind of sounds like my AMC Pacers at this point

[camerjeff]

Originally Posted by red1975pacer

Do you think the Sunbird will have any collector interest moving foward? Does your Mom still have the SJ Grand Prix?

No my mother drove it until the body almost rusted off the frame, then I found her a very nice base model 76 GP that was the last car she ever drove. Also the only Automatic car she ever owned, Mom liked to shift gears, but was not a performance person.

And I pretty much think the Sunbirds Collector value has been stated already, if you really like the car and have always wanted one to cruise in, and don't mind the $$$ of that one, you could be happy with it. But I would not expect it to retain that kind of value, and if you put miles on it it would become almost worthless.

I never thought how long it has been sense I have seen a 1st gen J-body in a local yard, ages, though I did see a mid 80's skyhawk on the road last week in one of the snow storms we had, it really suprised me to see it, and the temp was aroun ZERO F at the time.

Like I said I am a sucker for manual trans cars (I wonder how much my Mother influanced that?) and the PA GP would interest me, but like previously stated I would have to inspect the car in person.

[1967Tempest]

I kind of agree on the manual GP. Maybe the clutch is shot and to the owner it is a total loss as it is too labor intensive.

Agreed that most people that do not post a lot of information are hiding something or they are not computer savvy and just dont want to bother with typing.

Plus in those pics the body lines LOOK ok. and the paint as well. Most 4 speed conversions are gonna cost you $3K anyway. It would be the top of the list for me.

Also, don't overlook a bench seat car. Not to get too detailed, but they have their advantages..

[mrrat1]

Check phila CL I did see a low mile 79 I think, 27,000 miles

[mrrat1]

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/4281868321.html

split bench!

[camerjeff]

That is a nice looking car, but the 3.8 V-6 would kill the deal for me, even my Mothers 301 4bbl 4-speed car, with the 3.08 axle was sloooooow, and I hated driving the 83 Cutlass Cruiser Wagon we used to have, even after I added a cam, small 4bbl, duel exaust, and got rid if the connected exaust manifolds, for some actual seperated manifolds. It went from 93 RW hp in stock form, to 147 after modifications on the same chassis dyno. with the 2.56 gears and the extra wieght of the wagon body style it was still a slug. After putting in a set of 3.42 gears, its city driving was OK, but the highy MPG fell from 21 to 16MPG.
I think I could have done better with a 301 4bbl, or even the 350 Buick V-8 that I should have installed in the car!!!!!!

Just FYI, if you find a deal a a nice V-6 car, drive it before you buy it!!!!!!!

[Lightfoot]

That South Jersey GP is a very low optioned car.
If it didn't have the A/C and full wheel covers (one step up from dog dish) it would be about as stripped as you could get. One other extra cost option is the non-landau half vinyl roof, which is not very common.

As nice as it is, I would not value it over $5,000.

[red1975pacer]

While the Jersey car is nice, I would like to hold out for a loaded up car. Come on guys, ready to go, cash in your hand within a few days, nobody out here will pay more for a Sj or bucket seat LJ. 10k is NOT unreasonable for the right car!

[iowapub]

NOT mine...LJ, but pretty nice
$11,000

No delay wipers...

1978 Pontiac Grand Prix LJ Package, 301 V-8, Leather Bucket Seats, All Power, Cold Air. New 18" Wheels and Tires.

Extremely Nice looking and driving Pontiac.

83,000 Miles.

[iowapub]

http://chattanooga.craigslist.org/ctd/4587066221.html

[red1975pacer]

I called the guy in Chattanoga, the car was originally silver grey two tone. LOVE the car, just dont know why he would change the color when silver is a cool color to begin with. Thanks for the tip.